Opinion
Love should unite those who care for each other
The word “love” is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person.” Nowhere within this definition is love defined as being a specific, romantic affection toward someone else. This holiday is often known for its appreciation of love. Valentine’s Day has been recognized as a day to express love […]
Valentine’s Day a day of consumerism
As Valentine’s Day approaches, lovebirds everywhere are making plans for magical evenings, plotting perfect meals and selecting exactly the right flowers for their significant others. It is a day where people take the time to make their special someone feel loved, which is a wonderful notion – but the fact that Americans will spend nearly $20 […]
Celebrities test boundaries of social media etiquette
People read about celebrities on a daily basis, and their actions can sometimes draw caution to their reputation. There are times, however, when celebrities are so popular, good-looking, innocent-seeming or when their fandom exceeds great numbers that they can get away with anything they want. What celebrities post on social media is a good example of this behavior. People […]
Society paints beauty in an unrealistic light
The emphasis on beauty and fashion for women has reached outrageous proportions over the past few years and has gotten a bit out of hand. Companies have been called out on editing photos of women and molding them into something they think is more aesthetically pleasing to produce a better profit, erasing the physical imperfections of the […]
Same-sex marriage ban denies humans their basic rights
On Jan. 12, U.S. District Judge Karen Schreider declared the same-sex marriage ban in South Dakota to be unconstitutional after six couples filed a lawsuit in May 2014 in Sioux Falls. The lawsuit challenges a 1996 state law and a voter-approved 2006 constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage. “The plaintiffs have a fundamental right to […]
Protecting schools, offices before a gunman ever gets to the door
It was barely a week ago that shots were fired at a car near the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. Its driver, an 18-year-old local, later died at the hospital after being shot in the head. While this incident may not be considered a mass shooting, the attack itself was one that initiated a level […]
“50 Shades of Grey” promotes sexual violence in relationships
The book “50 Shades of Grey” has brought many people to believe their ideal relationship must include a handsome CEO whose sexual preferences include Bondage, Submission, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM), and this is dangerous because the book does not exemplify what a healthy, consensual relationship should look like. To sum up, the book not only […]
Head-to-head: deciding to get the flu shot
Get the flu shot Column by Michael Geheren Protecting yourself from Influenza with a vaccine is one of the most important things you can do for preventative health. Many Americans seem to have a false sense of complacency with the flu. Since 1970, flu deaths per season have ranged from 3,000 to 49,000 in the U.S., according to the […]
Consider all options when selecting a job
Looking for a job post-graduation is scary. It’s like choosing which weapon to carry with you in the case of a zombie apocalypse. Pardon the overused zombie-phenomena metaphors, but it really is. In terms of zombie-slaying weaponry — the job you choose can either be a gun or a sword. On one hand, a job […]
Tracing family roots exciting, important
Once, when I was a child, I was flipping through my school yearbooks and noticed people with my last name whom I had never met before. When I asked my mother about it, she described a split in the family that had happened sometime about a century ago. It was a bit like the Montagues […]